On Saturday, some Chadian rebels and political groups refused to negotiate with a Chadian military council organized by Qatar, accusing the government of seeking to destabilize peace efforts.
Nearly half of the negotiating teams took action less than 24 hours after the government of President Mohamed Idriss Déby Itno announced that a national dialogue for peace leading to elections would begin on 20 August.
In a statement, rebel groups participating in the Qatari-sponsored Doha talks accused the government delegation of “harassment, intimidation, threats and disinformation”.
She stated that the date for the dialogue was set without any consultation, condemning what she saw as an attempt to “exclude” many armed groups and their political allies from the dialogue. Déby was appointed head of the military council in April 2021, shortly after it was announced that his father had died at the front in clashes with rebels after ruling Chad with an iron fist for more than 30 years.
Opposition groups demanded that Déby refrain from participating in the elections as a condition of any negotiations, but the government insists that this demand can only be discussed in a national dialogue.
